Connection for torque arms or the like



May 17 1927.

F. J. SHOOK I CONNECTION FOR TORQUE mus OR THE LIKE Filed Deg. 6. 1924 f IIIIIIIIIII/l zand embrac' Patented May 17, 1927; 7

STATS rLonAm a. snoox, or men, 01110, Assmnon T was a. r. eoonnicn comrnrw, or NEW YORK, N. r, A conronnrron or new YORK.

CONNECTION FOR TORQUE ARMS OR LIE.

This invention relates to means for securing one mechanical part to another, and more particularly for securing-to an automobile frame or the like the outer orbody end of a torque arm such'as is employed in many automobiles or trucks to hold the axle housing against the reaction of the driving torque.

My chief object is to provide an improved type of connection between. two machine parts, such as the torque arm and the car frame of an automobile such that the torque arm, for example, will he stronglybut resiliently held, without too great or too little amplitude or resilience. Further objects are to provide durability, freedom from noise, and cushioning of the arm against horizontal as well as vertical movement. I

Of the accompanying drawings? Fig. 1 is a side elevation of parts of an automobile embodying my invention in its preferred form, a part being sectioned.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

' 10 is attached to the axle-housing 11 by means of the usual vertical, clevis 12 and clevis pin 13 in such manner that the torque arm is adapted tov resist turning of the axle housing by the driving torque although ivoted upon the vertical axis represente by the clevis pin. At its front end the tor ue' arm is provided with anextension brac et 14 which is connected with a-bracket-15, projectingdownward irom the frame of the car to provide anchorage. for the torque arm, by means of a flexible and resilient conne'tin member, 16 having its up r and lower en s attached to the raeket 15 audits middle portion 'itorque-arm bracket 14."

1 f-The' said connecting member comprises 3 opposite, flexible, fa

1 erably of rubberizedfa rie, clamped-to the brackets at the respective attachment points,

j bulgedform, tween the attachmentpoints, 1. by 'cushion bodies 19, 20 0f resilient mate- .Theifidcushion bodies referebly are of-soft rubber and secured'te e rubberized Referring to the drawings, the torque arm.

attached -i-to the yer am? elements thereof, since the latter are adapt and held in double convex,

6,1924. Serial No. 754,888.

The fabric facings preferably consist of. a winding of rubberized fabric, providing. end loops passln'gabout respective plate-like; anchorage bars 21, 22 adapted to be gripped,".- within the respective end loops of fabric, and ,thus held ina vertical plane, by the attachment clamps 23, 24, or 25, 26'by which the ends of the connecting member are secured to the frame bracket 15, said bars also 69 being adapted to bear against respective metal bushings or spacing sleeves 27,i 27 mounted, within thev bolt hol s of the connecting member 16, upon the lamping bolts 28, 28 which extend through the clamps, the connecting member and the frame bracket 15.. The bushings 27 are adapted to abutv the inner faces of the clampsto limit the; setting up of the latter and thus avoid rup-"sf ture of or damage to the fabric facings, while the bars 21, 22, bearing upon the bush lugs and sustaining the force of the end loopsgof fabric" passing about them, are adapted to provide strong anchorage of the ends of the connecting member 16, butI 'do not claim the bushings and the anchoragej bars as my invention. e

A similar bushing 27 is mounted upon each of the clamping bolts-28 which secure the middle part of-theconnecting member .16 to the torque-arm bracket 14, and the clamps 29, 30 for the said middle portion, as well as the clamps 23, 24, 25, 26, are formed with cheek plates or flanges 31, 31, concavely curved about but normally diverging slightly from the zones of the connect ing member 16 which are thickened. or bulged by the presence of the cushion bodies. 19. 20.

Each of the said thickened portions of the connecting member is adapted to be elongated and shortened as a whole by the .force of. the torque arm. without excessive-elongation or compression of the fabric "ed yield, merely by increase or decrease of their halged'eonditiom-the in w.-

-cushion bedies 19,"20 acting as w 'ent I 'betwe'enjhefabrie as well as directly cushidningiorem directed len hwe wise'ofthe'co' H member 16. l he latter is preferably of suficientwidthtransw versely ofthe car, as shown, to provide a- .resilient but small-amplitude cushioning of the torque arm transversely of the car, and

the vcushion bodies provide such, longitudinal elasticity ofthe connecting member that such fore andraft relative movement ofthe torque arm as takes place does not have so great a mechanical advantage as to unduly strain the fabric or the connecting member 16 asa whole. The deformability of the cushion bodies 19, 20 permits the necessary fiexure of the connecting member without excessive local fiexure of the fabric, and the cheek plates or flanges 31 restrict the longitudinal com- 7 pression of the thickened zones and .thus

'cause the latter to act largely by compression and without destructive localized flexure of the fabric. p

The torque arm is thus permitted a desirably limited, cushioned movement in all directions, without excessive strain upbn the fabric elements and without noise or excessive wear, and agreatly improved torque arm connection is thus provided.

'- Details-of construction may be modified without departure from the scope of my invention, and I do \not wholly limit my claims to the exact construction shown.

I claim: a 1; A torque arm connection comprising a torque arm, an anchorage therefor, and a connecting member operatively interposed bu ged apart between said attachment points by. a cushion body of, rubber inter- -posedbetween and vulcanized to said facings-" 3. A torque arm'connection comprisin a torque arm, an anchorage therefor, an a connecting member havlng its ends attached to one of said arm and anchorage and its intermedlate portion attached to the other v so ,as to act simultaneously by compression and by tension, in respective zones thereof, in resisting the torque force of said arm,

said member comprising opposed facings of flexible material approachm each otherat the attachment zones and he 'd bulged a artbetween said zones. by cushion bodies o resilient material. I 4. Atorque arm connectlon comprisln a torque arm, an anchorage'therefor, an ;a

connecting member having two attachment points to one of said elements and an interposed attachment point to the other so as to act simultaneously by compression and by tension, in respective zones thereof, in resisting the torque force of said am, said member comprising relatively thin zones at the positions of attachment and relatively thick .zones between said positions.

5. A torque arm connection comprising a torque arm, an anchorage therefor, and a connecting member having two attachment points to one of said elements and an interposed attachment point to the other so as to 'act simultaneously by compression and by tension, in respective zones thereof, in resisting the torqueforce of said arm, and said member comprising opposed facings of rubberized fibrous material approaching each other at the positions of attachment and held bulged apart between said positions by cushion bodies of resilient rubber interposed between and vulcanized to said facings.

6. A connecting member comprising opposed facings of fibrous material lying close together at three aligned positions to provide relatively thin attachment portions and a cushion body of rubber interposed between and vulcanized to saidfacings and holding them bulged apart between two of saidattachment portions.

7 A connecting member comprising opposed facings' of fibrous material convergmg at three spaced apart, aligned positions to provide relatively thin attachment portions and cushions of rubber interposed between and vulcanized to said facings and holding them bulged apart atpositions alternating with said attachment portions.

.8. A connection for two rigid members comprising a cushioning member interposed between the two, said cushioning mem- I berconiprising a relatively thin portion attached to one of said rigid members, a relatively thick portion between said rigid members, united with said thin portion, and a pair of clamps embracing the thin portion of the cushioning member and clamping the latter to one of the rigid 'mem-.

bers, the said clamps being formed with rqspective flared, arcuate cheek-plates stradd in the thick portion of the cushiortingmem er to resist excessive, deformation'of the said thick-portion. under compression. 9.. A' connection for two rigid members comprising a cushioning member interposed between the'tw. and having relatively thin portions attach thereto and a relatively th ck, bulged, portion between the said'thin 2 portions, the snrface ofthecushioning mem-; ber belng reversely curved in contour from the thick portion to the thin portion, and

an abutment member secured to, one of said rigid members and presenting a reversely;

curved face to the cushion member in the vicinity of the junction of one of the latters thin portions with its thick portion, so that the said face conforms roughly to 5 the 'reversely curved contour of the cushion -member and is adapted to limit distortion of the latter but stands away from the bulged portion of the cushioning member except when the said bulged portion is distorted. y

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of December, 1924.

FLORAIN J. SHOOK. 

